Hampton TZT Solutions Memo

To: The Hampton University Board of Directors

From: TZT Solutions Group
Date: April 24, 2019
Subject: Recommendation For Hampton’s WIFI

Enclosed is the report with the findings made by the TZT Solutions Group regarding how to
improve the network across Hampton’s Campus.
HAMPTON NETWORK SOLUTIONS

Tauren Bass

Tori Epps

Zaire Elleby

Report Distributed on April 28, 2019

Prepared for

Hampton University

Board of Directors

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………...4

INTRODUCTION………………...………………………………………………..5

SOLUTIONS…………………………………………………………………….....6

a. REMAP….………………………………………………………….…...….6
b. UPGRADE………………………………………………………………….7
c. STABILIZE…………………………………………………………………8

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………….....10

WORKS CITED……………...………………………………………………….....11
Summary
In this memo we will be discussing a problem that is affecting the Hampton University Campus;
the situation surrounding the wifi. We will be discussing what the various problem points are,
and what we believe the solutions to be. We have broken down our solution down into three
major points as well as providing data points as to why we believe that this is a pressing issue.
Introduction
As current students at Hampton University, we have noticed a pressing issue that seems to be
affecting the student body, the poor wifi. Over the years of our matriculation, we have noticed
that there is a severe lack of appropriate internet connectivity. The current wifi lacks speed,
security, and manageability. There are many challenges facing the current situation.

Although there are quite a few problem points we are going to provide the solution steps that
need to be taken to solve these problems in an manageable way. We have broken down these
solution steps into the consumable chunks; Remap, Upgrade, Stabilize. In this memo we will be
going in depth into these steps.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Remap

Presently the main issue that hinders the next step forward is a lack of network understanding. In
networking there is a term known as topology which is described as a map that shows how our
network is laid out. The reason as to why this is important is that the way that a network is laid
out defines how slow or fast the internet is in certain places. The way that the network is
currently laid out we follow a tree structure in
our topology. Meaning we have one hub or
router per building and a large amount of
splitters that split the connection for that
building into every room. Even though we may
know the structure we do not know where any
of these connections are being made. Thus we
have our first major issue.

Fig 1. Tree Topology(taken from “Computer Network : Tree Network

Topology.” Computer Network : Tree Network Topology, computerlearningcentre.blogspot.com/2014/07/computer-network-tree-network-
topology.html.

Our solution to fix this problem would be to Remap the network. This task is not one of
difficulty but of time. It would take between a couple of weeks to a few months to map out our
entire campus depending on the complexity of the last design. The cost to do this is one of the
cheaper tasks. The parts needed: Commotion node (router), Mounting hardware, Ethernet
cabling, Power supply - Included with outdoor router, Indoor router, cost between 250-500 USD
per unit, which would mean per building in this case (Put Andy Gunn Citation Here). In terms of
the cost of labor it should be between 100-250 USD per building.

Commotion Mounting Ethernet Power Outdoor Indoor Labor Cost

Node Hardware Cabling Supply Router Router

$200 $40 $275 $350 $130 $150 $175

Fig 2. Shows the average cost of each of the parts that fill the requirements based on common choices.
The impact of remapping on our campus will be huge. Without the remapping of our network,
those who use Hampton University’s WIFI will continue to experience the problems that we
have addressed before. But if Hampton does allow for the remapping of the network, many
things will change on campus. Those who use the WIFI will notice a faster internet speed. With
the remap will know how slow or fast the connections are on certain parts of campus. Greater
internet speeds can ease the frustrations that students have with trying to complete their
assignments. Another benefit of remapping is that our network will be more secure. The IT
professionals on this campus will be able to track where each point of connectivity is coming
from.

Step 2: Upgrade

Presently the wifi on campus is not something that follows our standard of excellence at
Hampton University; According to a study done by SpeedTest, an internet speed archive and test
site, where they tested the internet speed of many different tests their slowest was the University
of Alabama at 38.88 Mbps(megabits per second) (McKetta, 2019). Comparing that to Hampton
which clocks in around 3.5 Mbps.

The next point is Upgrade; now that we

have a completed map of our network
we are able to add new routers and
upgrade our network pipeline to both
increase internet speed but widen the
range of our network.

Since we now have an upgraded

topology we would be able to upgrade
the network. To do this we would need
to replace all of the router points on our
campus whilst also paying for an
increase in wifi. To do this it would take
about ~125 USD per building based on
the average of upgrading each
individual build but to upgrade a
network of this scale for the needs of
our student body would be ~540,000
USD to on average with much more
prominent universities.

The impact this would have on the

Hampton’s students and faculty would
be quite large. It will allow for students to have an easier time accessing online information as
well as faster upload and download for assignments. It would help faculty by allowing for more
interactive lessons or integrating different types of learning such as videos.

Step 3: Stabilize

When it comes to stabilization we saw two major problems:

● The Lack of Security

● The Lack of Proper Encryption

The Lack of Security:

Currently, the network is an open entry point; meaning that anyone is able to get access to the
network and the various aspects that are connected to it. The things that are linked to this
network are: our payment information for tuition, personal information, and university
information like a transcript. These vulnerabilities pose problems for both the student body and
everyone that works for the university.

Lack of Encryption:

Connecting to an unsecured wireless network can leave your computer or mobile device
susceptible to a plethora of security risks and unwanted activity. Not only that, but unauthorized
users can slow your connection down to a crawl, access your private data, or even use the
network to perform shady activities that can be traced back to you. While it may seem incredibly
complicated, securing our wireless network is rather simple. It just takes a bit of standard
encryption, limiting access, and password creativity. The first and most simple step is for the
network to differentiate whether or not a user is a Hampton student, faculty, staff or not to make
sure no unauthorized users are on the network. We also use outdated types of encryption like
WPA.

Solution:

● Differentiate Hampton users vs non-Hampton users

● Enable encryption software
● Prevent unauthorized access.
● WPA or WPA2 encryption

Another step is by using encryption. Encryption encodes the data sent wirelessly between your
device and the router, essentially scrambling the information and restricting open access.Another
difference between WPA and WPA2 is the length of their passwords. WPA2 requires you to
enter a longer password than WPA requires. The shared password only has to be entered one
time on the devices that access the router, but it provides an additional layer of protection from
people who would crack your network if they could.
Conclusion
This memo went over the proposed solutions for Hampton University’s network as provided by
TZT Solutions group. We seperated down our solutions into three consumables chunks Remap,
Upgrade, Stabilize. These steps encompassed mapping our network layout and replacing all of
the hardware, paying to upgrade our newly mapped network, and hiring professionals to upkeep
and protect the network.
 Works Cited

McKetta, I. (2019, January 09). Which Campus Has the Fastest Wi-Fi? Comparing Football
Rivals. Retrieved from https://www.speedtest.net/insights/blog/fastest-campuses-2018/

“Computer Network : Tree Network Topology.” Computer Network : Tree Network Topology,
computerlearningcentre.blogspot.com/2014/07/computer-network-tree-network-topology.html.